Shoulder pads have been used in athletics and other occupations in which a chest protector is laced at the front, with shoulder pads extending from the chest protector over the shoulders. However, these shoulder pads are hinged to the outboard portion of the chest protector so that while they are free to move up and down, they cannot pivot at their point of attachment. The result is that as the arm swings, the shoulder moves out from under the pad. While such shoulder pads are suitable for football applications where there is only limited arm movement, in lacrosse the shoulder pad moves away from the top of the shoulder because of the wide ranging arm movement during play. It will be noted that in lacrosse one arm is usually raised above shoulder level when carrying a lacrosse stick. Also in lacrosse, the range of motion of the arms is much greater than in football.
As to lacrosse-type shoulder pads, in general the shoulder pad is also hinged to the chest protector. As a result, when the arms are swung backwardly or forwardly and rotated in their sockets, the shoulder pad is displaced either in front of or in back of the shoulder, leaving it unprotected. Also because of the hinged pad arrangement, there is significant discomfort to the player because the pad gets in the way.
In general, when an arm is moved backwardly of the torso, the hinged shoulder pad moves forward from over the top of the shoulder, whereas when the arm is swung forward the shoulder pad moves back from over top the shoulder. This is because the shoulder pad is not permitted to pivot with arm movement.
Additionally, with prior art-type shoulder pads, when the arm is raised above shoulder level, the shoulder pad along with the chest protector digs into the neck of the player. It is in part because of a lack of lateral adjustability in the positioning of the pad above the shoulder that movement of the arm above shoulder level drives the chest protector and shoulder pad into the neck of the individual.
The above is particularly acute in the game of lacrosse due to the fact that for a large percentage of the time, the arm associated with the head of the lacrosse stick is raised above shoulder level. In fact the entire game is predicated on the ability to raise this arm so as to permit control of the lacrosse stick.
In summary, in lacrosse arm movement forward and aft moves the traditional fixed shoulder pad away from its initial position protecting the top of the shoulder to a position in which the top of the shoulder is left exposed. Since a significant amount of slashing occurs in lacrosse, leaving a shoulder unprotected is dangerous.
There is thus a necessity for providing a combined chest protector and shoulder pad assembly or system in which the shoulder pad is permitted to move with the arm to which it is attached. This provides that the shoulder pad be positioned squarely over the top of the shoulder play. It is also desirable to be able to provide a pad adjustable in a lateral direction up and down the arm so that the shoulder pad assembly is adaptable for use by different size players.
Moreover, present lacrosse protective garments are front closing, with laces up the front. For large players, this results in a gap over the sternum. Since a significant number of sternum injuries occur each year, additional sternum protection is necessary.
In summary, in the game of lacrosse, slashing with the lacrosse stick is a primary concern both at the top of the shoulder and at the bicep, whereas leaving the sternum unprotected in a front lace configuration subjects the player to injury through the gap in the front of the chest protector.